Elliottdale facts for kids

The Eliottdale is a special kind of domestic sheep that first came from Tasmania, an island in Australia. These sheep are mostly raised for their wool, which is used to make things like carpets. Because they grow so much wool, Eliottdale sheep need to be shorn, or have their wool cut off, twice every year!

What Makes Eliottdale Sheep Special?

Their Wool

The wool from an Eliottdale sheep is quite thick. Each wool fiber is about 38 to 40 microns wide. A micron is a super tiny unit of measurement, even smaller than a millimeter! When the sheep are shorn, their wool is usually about 120 to 200 mm (4.7 to 7.9 in) long. Each time, a sheep can produce about 6.0 kg (13.2 lb) of wool.

Size and Appearance

Adult male Eliottdale sheep, called rams, usually weigh around 70 kg (150 lb). Adult female sheep, called ewes, weigh about 58 kg (128 lb). Rams can sometimes have horns, but they can also be "polled," which means they don't have horns. Ewes, on the other hand, never have horns; they are always polled. Eliottdale sheep are always white and have one solid color.

The Story of the Eliottdale Sheep

How They Were Developed

The Eliottdale sheep breed was created in the 1970s at the Elliott Research Station in Tasmania. Scientists wanted to create a sheep that was good for both meat and wool. They studied the sheep carefully and kept records to help them breed the best ones.

In 1986, the breed started to become more widely known, and Australia even created an industry just for carpet wool. The Eliottdale breed was developed from a special Romney ram that had a unique genetic change. This change helped the Eliottdale sheep grow their special carpet wool.

A Big Win at a Sheep Show

In the late 1980s, a big event called the World Sheep Convention and Show was held in Launceston, Tasmania. The Eliottdale sheep breed did very well in the competitions there, especially in the meat categories. This was partly because Eliottdale sheep spread their fat more evenly than some other breeds, making them look better in certain classes. Only five breeders brought Eliottdale sheep to the show, but their sheep placed well in many different groups, even against up to 50 other sheep!

Saving the Breed

The project at the Elliott Research Station ended in 1993, and the station became a dairy research center. Luckily, a member of the research team, Carl Terrey, bought some of the Eliottdale sheep. He has continued to raise them carefully ever since.

Today, there are only two groups of Eliottdale sheep left, with about 300 ewes in total. This means the breed is in serious danger of disappearing forever! Carl Terrey has been very careful with the sheep's genetics. He still has about 120 ewes, which he keeps in six separate family groups, with about 20 ewes in each group.

The Future of the Eliottdale

Carl Terrey is worried about the future of the Eliottdale breed because there are so few of them left. As he gets older and thinks about retiring, he hopes someone will continue his important work to keep this special sheep breed from becoming extinct.